Ice lighting fixture

Abstract

The present invention relates to a lighting fixture that functionally provides a mold for creating a light diffuser from ice, a stand upon which to display the created light diffuser (including a shaped-surface support element to stabilize the light diffuser as it de-solidifies), a collection element to collect and contain the melted light diffuser material, and a support and containing system for a light source that, in use, is surrounded by the light diffuser.

I claim:  
     
       1. A lighting fixture comprising: 
       a light source;  
       a light diffuser substantially surrounding said light source, wherein said light diffuser has at least one surface that at least partially bounds a void surrounding said light source, and wherein said light diffuser is constructed of a diffuser material initially in solid form but which de-solidifies at room temperatures; and  
       a base structure to support at least said light diffuser.  
     
     
       2. The lighting fixture of claim  1 , wherein said base structure further comprises a core member having a substantially horizontal surface element to support said light diffuser and said light source. 
     
     
       3. The lighting fixture of claim  2 , wherein said light diffuser comprises a material that de-solidifies into a liquid form at some room temperatures, said lighting fixture further comprising a collection element below said light diffuser to collect and contain liquid de-solidified light diffuser material. 
     
     
       4. The lighting fixture of claim  3 , wherein said collection element has at least one wall defining an interior volume that serves as a shape mold for forming said light diffuser. 
     
     
       5. The lighting fixture of claim  4 , said collection element further comprising an exterior circumferential base member to add stability in use. 
     
     
       6. The lighting fixture of claim  5 , wherein said exterior circumferential base member serves as a warming-substance reservoir when the collection element is inverted. 
     
     
       7. The lighting fixture of claim  4 , said collection element further comprising a centrally-located near-vertical column to produce a corresponding hollow near-vertical column in said light diffuser when said collection element serves as said shape mold used to produce said light diffuser. 
     
     
       8. The lighting fixture of claim  7 , wherein said at least one wall comprises an outer wall having an uppermost portion, and wherein an uppermost portion of said near-vertical column terminates in a horizontal surface, wherein said horizontal surface is below a parallel horizontal plane defined by the uppermost portion of the outer wall. 
     
     
       9. The lighting fixture of claim  8 , said collection element further comprising an interior base having a gradual concave curve extending radially from said near-vertical column toward said outer wall. 
     
     
       10. The lighting fixture of claim  9 , wherein a lowest point of said radially-extending gradual concave curve of said interior base is radially positioned based upon radially varying rates at which portions of said light diffuser de-solidify. 
     
     
       11. The lighting fixture of claim  10 , wherein the lowest point in said radially-extending gradual concave curve of said interior base is circumferentially located approximately two-thirds of a radial distance from said near-vertical column to an outermost point of said radially-extending gradual concave curve. 
     
     
       12. A lighting fixture as set forth in claim  1 , wherein said light source is a candle. 
     
     
       13. A lighting fixture as set forth in claim  12 , wherein said candle is contained in a light source centering holder. 
     
     
       14. A lighting fixture comprising: 
       a light source;  
       a light diffuser substantially surrounding said light source, said light diffuser constructed of a diffuser material initially in solid form but which de-solidifies at room temperatures; and  
       a base structure to support at least said light diffuser, said base structure including a core member having a substantially horizontal surface element to support said light diffuser, wherein said substantially horizontal surface element has at least one drain hole through which a melted portion of said light diffuser can pass.  
     
     
       15. The lighting fixture of claim  14 , the core member comprising a centrally located shallow hollow vertical column to support and contain said light source. 
     
     
       16. The lighting fixture of claim  15 , said shallow hollow vertical column having formed therein one or more openings through which air can flow. 
     
     
       17. The lighting fixture of claim  16 , wherein said opening is a scallop opening comprising a circumferentially intermittent supporting perimeter along a base of said shallow hollow vertical column suitable for supporting a light source centering holder, said light source centering holder being of such size and shape that said light source centering holder cannot pass through said scallop opening. 
     
     
       18. The lighting fixture of claim  17 , wherein said light source centering holder is shaped such that said light source centering holder is incapable of totally blocking said scallop opening and preventing air from passing through portions of said scallop opening. 
     
     
       19. The lighting fixture of claim  14 , wherein said substantially horizontal surface of said core member comprises at least one low-profile vertical wedge. 
     
     
       20. A lighting fixture as set forth in claim  14 , wherein said light source is a candle. 
     
     
       21. A lighting fixture as set forth in claim  20 , wherein said candle is contained in a light source centering holder. 
     
     
       22. A lighting fixture comprising: 
       a light source;  
       a light diffuser substantially surrounding said light source, said light diffuser constructed of a diffuser material initially in solid form but which de-solidifies at room temperatures; and  
       a base structure to support said light source and said light diffuser, said base structure comprising a core member having an inner circumference, an outer perimeter circumference, and a substantially horizontal surface having a gradual concave curve extending radially from the inner circumference surrounding said light source toward the outer perimeter circumference of said core member.  
     
     
       23. The lighting fixture of claim  22 , wherein a lowest point of said radially-extending gradual concave curve is radially positioned based upon radially varying rates at which portions of said light diffuser de-solidify. 
     
     
       24. The lighting fixture of claim  23 , wherein the lowest point in said radially-extending gradual concave curve is circumferentially located approximately two-thirds of a radial distance from said inner circumference surrounding said light source to an outermost point of said radially-extending gradual concave curve. 
     
     
       25. The lighting fixture of claim  22 , wherein said substantially horizontal surface further comprises a ribbing pattern with a plurality of alternating ridges and valleys that each extend radially outward from said inner circumference. 
     
     
       26. The lighting fixture of claim  25 , wherein each said valley further comprising a drain hole through which a melted portion of said light diffuser can pass. 
     
     
       27. The lighting fixture of claim  26 , wherein each said ridge further comprises a plurality of shallow flow guides running from a crest of said ridge to said drain hole. 
     
     
       28. The lighting fixture of claim  26 , wherein each said drain hole further comprises a drip flow guide extending diagonally downward from said drain hole. 
     
     
       29. The lighting fixture of claim  22 , wherein said substantially horizontal surface of said core member comprises at least one low-profile vertical wedge along an intermediate circumference between said inner circumference surrounding said light source to said outer perimeter circumference of said core member. 
     
     
       30. A lighting fixture as set forth in claim  22 , wherein said light source is a candle. 
     
     
       31. A lighting fixture as set forth in claim  30 , wherein said candle is contained in a light source centering holder. 
     
     
       32. A lighting fixture, comprising: 
       a base structure to support a light source and a light diffuser that comprises a material that de-solidifies into a liquid form at some room temperatures, said base structure including:  
       a core member having:  
       a shallow hollow vertical column for containing the light source; and  
       a substantially horizontal surface surrounding the shallow hollow vertical column and terminating in an outer perimeter circumference, wherein the substantially horizontal surface has a gradual concave curve extending radially from the shallow hollow vertical column toward the outer perimeter circumference; and  
       a collection element below said core member to collect and contain liquid de-solidified light diffuser material.  
     
     
       33. The lighting fixture of claim  32 , wherein the collection element has at least one wall defining an interior volume that serves as a shape mold for forming the light diffuser. 
     
     
       34. The lighting fixture of claim  33 , said collection element further comprising a centrally-located near-vertical column to produce a corresponding hollow near-vertical column in the light diffuser when said collection element serves as said shape mold used to produce the light diffuser. 
     
     
       35. The lighting fixture of claim  34 , said collection element further comprising an interior base having a gradual concave curve extending outward radially from said near-vertical column. 
     
     
       36. A lighting fixture, comprising: 
       a core member having a central support for a light source and a substantially horizontal annular surface for supporting a light diffuser substantially surrounding the light source, wherein said substantially horizontal annular surface has at least one hole through which a melted portion of said light diffuser can pass; and  
       a collection element, below the core member, to collect and contain light diffuser material that has melted.  
     
     
       37. The lighting fixture of claim  36 , wherein the central support comprises a centrally located shallow hollow vertical column to support and contain the light source. 
     
     
       38. A lighting fixture, comprising: 
       a core member having a central support for a light source and a substantially horizontal annular surface for supporting a light diffuser substantially surrounding the light source; and  
       a collection element, below the core member, to collect and contain light diffuser material, wherein the collection element has at least one wall defining an interior volume that serves as a shape mold for forming the light diffuser and a centrally-located near-vertical column to produce a corresponding hollow near-vertical column in the light diffuser when said collection element serves as the shape mold used to produce the light diffuser.  
     
     
       39. The lighting fixture of claim  38 , said collection element further comprising an interior base having a gradual concave curve extending outward radially from said centrally located near-vertical column. 
     
     
       40. A lighting apparatus, comprising: 
       a light source; and  
       a light diffuser substantially surrounding said light source, wherein said light diffuser has at least one surface that at least partially bounds a void surrounding said light source, and wherein said light diffuser is constructed of a diffuser material initially in solid form but which de-solidifies at room temperatures.  
     
     
       41. The lighting apparatus of claim  40 , wherein the at least one surface has at least a top edge and said at least one surface defines a substantially vertical hollow column that is open at the top edge. 
     
     
       42. The lighting apparatus of claim  41 , wherein the light source comprises a candle. 
     
     
       43. The lighting apparatus of claim  42 , wherein the diffuser material comprises water.